Donald Trump wants ‘unified party’ before bid

Following a meeting Friday with Republican officials, real estate mogul Donald Trump told a local paper if he has the backing, he will launch a bid for governor, with a decision to come as early as the end of the month.

“If we could have a unified party with everybody backing properly, I would do it and I think I’d win,” Trump told The Buffalo News in an interview Friday.

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“I am giving it very, very serious consideration, and if everything falls into place, I would do it,” he said

Trump’s comments came after the two-hour meeting at his office Friday with more than three dozen GOP elected officials and county party leaders, the paper said. Friday’s meeting follows a initial meeting in December with a smaller group of New York Republicans aiming to draft Trump to run against current Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Trump sees Cuomo as politically vulnerable on many issues, the paper said.

The billionaire developer also pushed back those skeptical of his potential candidacy.

“They assume maybe I won’t want to do this,” Trump said. “At the same time, I love this state and I see where it’s going. We’re going to be another Detroit.”

A spokesperson for Trump called the meeting “unprecedented,” noting over 50 Republican lawmakers from the state were in attendance, but he echoed Trump’s comments that rallying the party remains the priority before any candidacy is declared. “It’s about unifying the party around an individual who is perceived by the attendees to be the only republican capable of defeating Cuomo,” Michael Cohen said.